For Love of Rommie
by anjelkitty331
Summary: When the unimaginable happens to Rommie the Andromeda crew are forced to reevalute how much she means to them. Can they help her overcome her new trials and get back to them or is she lost for good? Relationships will change, lessons will be learned, and everyone will be affected. And will Rommie herself be able to face this new world?
1. Chapter One

Beka is walking down a corridor of the Andromeda Ascendant only 5 hours after waking from her comatose state from being rid of the Abyss's influence when Harper finds her.

"Hey boss. Where ya headed?"

"I was just going to thank Rommie for helping me. She left the medbay so fast I didn't get a chance."

"What a coincidence. I was just on my way to see her too. She seemed a little off earlier and I wanted to make sure there was no residual damage to any of her systems."

"Off how?"

"I don't know really. She just seemed kinda shaken."

They both stop and look up when Andromeda's Holgraph forms in front of them. "You're right Harper. I tried to talk to her when she was heading towards her quarters and she was extremely upset. She refused to re-establish our link and demanded privacy mode as soon as she entered. I haven't heard from her since."

"Upset how?" Beka asks worriedly. Rommie is usually very good at controlling her emotions. That her AI counterpart even noticed something was concerning.

Hologram looks down for a minute and when she looks back at them there is almost a guilty expression on her face. "When we were being attacked by the Abyss she cut off as much of our link as possible trying to keep it from me. She took it on by herself trying to shield me. I don't know what she went through to do that but when she left the medlab she was shaking violently and crying. I tried to talk to her, to thank her, but she simply shook her head and began running towards her quarters. I haven't felt her at all since she engaged privacy mode."

"I don't like the sound of that," Beka admits, having gone through her own hell at the Abyss's hands. How would Rommie, who is still learning to deal with emotions, handle such a thing? Exchanging a look with a silent Harper, Beka takes off at a run with the nearly frantic engineer right behind her. "Andromeda override privacy mode Authorization Beka Valentine on Rommie's quarters."

They arrive at the avatar's door less than a minute later. Holo-Andromeda once again materializes in front of them but this time there is no mistaking the emotion on her face. She opens her mouth but seems to be in shock and unable to speak. Not waiting for an explanation Beka and Harper rush in the doors as soon as they open only to come to a complete halt at the sight in front of them.

Up on command deck Captain Dylan Hunt has been watching an increasingly agitated Trance without comment when the silence is broken by the main AI the same moment as Trance suddenly gasps out loud and goes stiff.

"Dylan," Andromeda begins, addressing him by name rather than her usual 'Captain'. She, like her hologram self, seems in shock and unable to say anything else. A very bad feeling begins to sink into him only to bloom into full-blown fear at Trance's sorrowful whisper.

"Oh no! Rommie."


	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER 2

Beka Valentine has always prided herself on being able to handle any situation thrown at her. These last few days have only served to strengthen that but at this very moment she is completely and utterly unable to process what she is seeing. Rommie's quarters are completely destoyed. There isn't an inch of floor not covered in what looks like the shreds of every single thing that was once a pristine room. That's bad enough but what has completely unraveled Beka's usual composure is the blood. There is blood everywhere! She simply cannot process the amount of blood inside the avatar's decimated quarters.

Harper is equally unsettled but manages a quivering "Rommie?"

They both snap out of their shock when there is an unmistakable whimper from the direction of the bedroom the avatar keeps for appearance's sake. In complete sinc they frantically make their way across to the other doorway.

The devastation in here isn't any less than the outer room but if anything there is even more blood. Another quiet whimper draws their attention to a huddled mass of blankets in the corner.

"R-rommie?" Beka manages to get out. She almost jumps out of her skin when Hologram materializes beside them.

"Beka, Harper. I-i don't know how but I am reading new life signs. They're weak but definately...human. There's absolutely no sign of my avatar."

Beka stares at the visibly upset Hologram as Harper makes his way over to the whimpering bundle on the floor. He reaches a shaking hand out to pull the material back with a barely audible, "Rommie?"

As the material falls away he feels his heart shatter into oblivion at what he reveals. Curled up into a nearly fetal position is the naked, battered, and bloody body of an unmistakenly human Rommie.

"Oh God!"Beka gasps when she sees her friend. Gathering what wits she can she tells the hologram, "Get Trance!"

Harper is now the one unable to process and looks pleadingly at Beka as she joins him on the floor. She grabs his arm to give them both strength as she cautiously reaches out and brushes the tangled hair from Rommie's face. They both jump when her touch draws a hoarse scream from the broken woman.

Beka doesn't notice the tears streaming down her face as Rommie begins to weakly beg, "No..no more. Please..no more...please..no, no. Please..no more..."

It is to this scene that Trance rushes in on. She almost collapses as a soul-crushing wave of guilt hits her. How could she have missed this!? How did she to let the Abyss fool her so completely?! How could she have failed her friend so horribly?!

It is only the knowledge that Rommie needs her now more than ever that keeps her upright. Still, Beka isn't the only one with tears falling down her face as Trance gently pushes a devastated Harper out of her way to scan Rommie's condition.

"We need to get her to medlab immediately! Harper! I need to you carry her! Gently!" she tells him urgently.

With more care than Beka has ever seen him exhibit Harper eases Rommie into his arms. It is still not carefully enough as the delirious woman cries out before mercifully loosing conciousness completely.

Harper runs out of the quarters just as Dylan comes up. The engineer doesn't even pause as he rushes his precious cargo to medlab. Trance follows right behind him unable to meet Dylan's eyes. He stands just as frozen as everyone else has been as they disappear around the corner. A loud sob finally breaks him from his stupor. Feeling as if he's in a nightmare he can't escape he turns toward the room as a very pale and upset Beka steps out.

"Beka? What?" he manages.

She only shakes her head before collapsing against him in strangled sobs.


	3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER 3

When Beka finally manages to pull herself together she tells the astounded captain what they had found in the former avatar's quarters. He doesn't say a word, merely stalks off toward in the same direction as the previous crew members, jaw tight with anger. Feeling almost as guilt-ridden as Trance, Beka quietly follows. They arrive to find the medlab locked under privacy mode. Beka slides down the wall to the floor and places her head on her raised knees crying softly. She doesn't even move when they are joined by a confused Rade whom Andromeda has filled in. No one knows what to say so they all wait in silence. It's almost two hours later when a shaken Trance exits, doors closing behind her.

Dylan speaks first. "How is she?"

"She's stable. She, um, lost a lot of blood but we got to her in time," the golden woman tells them. She is reluctant to go on.

"What happened? How is this even possible?" Rhade inquires.

"It was the Abyss. Somehow it managed to change Rommie making her human. I don't know how. Nor do I know how it managed to hide from me," she admits weakly.

"What happened to her?" Dylan asks having been informed of the state she was found in.

Trance can't help the sob that escapes her at the question and raises a shaking hand to cover her mouth. She closes her eyes briefly trying to pull herself together and dreading the news she has to give them. Dylan steps forward and lays a hand on her shoulder. She pulls away from him unable to stand the touch when she knows how much her next words are going to hurt them. "She..she was beaten severely, tortured a-and..."

Feeling as if her entire body is frozen Beka stands up shaking her head in denial. She, unlike the men, has already intuited the rest. "Trance, please, no," she whispers brokenly, "not her."

Trance sends Beka a brief, heartbreaking glance of affirmation. The blond turns away swiftly and vomits. She once more breaks into sobs grabbing the wall for support. At her reaction Rhade realizes what Trance hasn't admitted and cannot stop a low growl before going over to help support Beka. Dylan either hasn't caught on or doesn't want to catch on. He merely stares at Trance as if daring her to speak. She meets his eyes for the first time and gently informs him, "Dylan, she was raped."


	4. Chapter 4

Dylan is completely speechless. Suddenly everything is too bright and too loud and too _real._ He just stares sightlessly at Trance unable to form a single thought. He wants to cry, scream, even _laugh_ at the utter ludicrousness of it all. He finally manages to collect himself enough to rasp a question. "How?"

Trance swallows before gently saying, "I think it was one of the Abyss's minions - his damn puppets!"

She spits that last out in a voice full of venom and Dylan almost takes a step back at the dangerous look on her face. Trance visbly collects herself before continuing. "The Abyss itself cannot take corporeal form. Rommie's a-attacker probably got onboard during the time Andromeda wasn't in control. I imagine there's been someone nearby ever since Beka was infected. After that it just waited, hidden from her sensors somehow."

Dylan wipes a hand down his face slowly, hoping no one notices the tears trying to appear in his eyes. Pulling on every ounce of military training he has Dylan straightens up He asks (thinking how everyone seems to be afraid to make any loud noises - even Beka's crying is muted), "Can I see her?"

There is a notinoticeable pause before Trance says "Andromeda?"

"Yes?" comes the strangely subdued reply. Neither the screen persona nor hologram appear. Just the reply.

"Is it safe yet?" Trance asks keeping Dylan's eys trapped with hers. She sees the confusion in his but waits for an affirmative from Andromeda before speaking again.

"The sedative appears to be working," Andromeda tells her in that new soft tone. There's still no sign or either of her incarnations and Dylan faintly begins to realize there is more than one victim here. He pushes the thought back as he attempts to focus on Trance. There is an unmistakable question in his eyes and the sun avatar takes a steadying breathe.


End file.
